—The toughest job you'll ever...

Being a manager can be really tough, whether it's for a huge department—or a small group of people. David C. Baker has just published a book called Managing Right for the First Time that has excellent food for thought and self-examination. Though it's written with ad agencies as a backdrop, It's smart reading for anyone who wants to be a better manager. Here are a few points from the book I think are important to share:

You need a marketing plan. Baker says you must have a marketing plan for promoting your business to prospective employees even before you need them. (I loved reading this, and he's right!) If we're thinking our customers are solely the people who buy our product or service—and forget our internal customers—we're missing something Big. We all know we're only as good as our people. Let's act like we know it.

Being a great manager starts even before someone is reporting to you. This book offers advice on smarter ways to interview and hire new staff. An exploration of better interview questions is terrific. How many times have we resorted to the unimaginative and unenlightening "tell me about your strengths and weaknesses" questions? Come on! There's also proper protocol for putting people at ease so you see the real person through the initial jitters—and how to project your corporate culture to interviewees so they see the real "you." It only makes sense that if you get a true match in the beginning, things go better.

Orientation is not a 30 minute meeting! How many of us are guilty of having thrown people into the deep end expecting them to start swimming like an Olympic medalist? Sink or swim is not good policy. At MB Piland, we've developed some pretty good orientation tools over the course of our business. But Baker gave me ideas on how we could make our system even better. He provides a detailed description of an orientation plan that begins before the employee's first day and continues on for some time afterward. There are also some ways to help both manager and employee develop realistic expectations about how soon they can get beyond dog paddling and find the right rhythm.

This is a good read. I finished my copy off in about two sittings. Now it's full of hot pink sticky notes with ideas and self-imposed homework. I think it's time well spent. —Martha

—Listening between the lines

At MB Piland, we know that listening is a critical ingredient in great account leadership. We also know it's a skill that's intentionally developed. We ask lots of questions, listen between the lines, then ask again to be sure we've asked the right questions.

We also find that asking questions of all the right people is important. Clients, of course—but customers, referral sources, distributors, bloggers—and others will also tell us a lot if we just pay attention and listen. This gives us a much more accurate view of what's really going on "out there."

It's the highest praise when a client says "How did you know that's exactly what I wanted? I didn't even know." That means we're doing our job. Today's Harvard Business Review features an article by John Baldoni on asking better questions. It's a worthwhile read. —Martha

—Account management is critical

At a recent Advertising Age Digital Conference, the Chief Creative Officer for Microsoft said, "The single most important piece for success for agencies we work with is actually orchestration. Account management is the most important function in our agencies, not creative."

We agree. At MB Piland, strategy and account leadership come first. You might ask yourself if your agency is focusing on all aspects of your marketing communications. Do you have work fragmented between multiple agencies and departments in order to save money? You may be also be fragmenting your messaging and missing out on opportunities to maximize your budget. Strong and smart orchestration means your message is more powerful, stretching your marketing dollars. Now that's music to anyone's ears!

Read more about this in Advertising Age. —Alex

—A book I pick up again and again is the dip, by Seth Godin

My friend Patti Bossert is a very successful businesswoman. She recommended this book to me and I confess I still have her copy. Subtitled "a little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick)" the dip offers insights into whether that setback is merely a temporary occurrance, or a Cul-de-Sac that you will never leave, no matter how hard you try.

Godin says what sets superstars apart from the rest of the pack is their ability to recognize and escape dead ends quickly—moving on to achievements that really matter. Contrary to the adage, Godin says winners do quit. They quit fast—and often—because they recognize where their effortts are better spent. This is a quick read that provokes self examination in a new light. —Martha

—What eels can teach us

Here's an interesting article from the BBC that details how researchers used tags to track eels' migration. Scientists found the eels use ocean currents to help them zip to a seemingly impossible destination and back. They swim out of their way to find the currents that will sweep them across the Atlantic. I think it's a good reminder to all of us that often we have to think differently - sometimes zig-zagging - to attack a problem that at first appears unsolvable. —Martha

—A book that I LOVE and refer to often is "The Woman's Book of Creativity" by C. Diane Ealy.

It's not restricted to women, it applies to everyone. It talks about how to hone and adapt your creativity so the juices flow. Creativity as a process is often defined or described in the academic community as a holistic one, however, we live in a very linear world. "The Woman's Book of Creativity" for me, connects the holistic and the linear to provide clarity on the best ways to remain creative yet productive. Its full of tips and exercises on how to look at problems from a different angle, think outside the box and do it in a way that's true to you. –Kat

—A favorite of mine is “Why we Buy-The Science of Shopping,” by Paco Underhill.

In a nutshell, Paco Underhill and his researchers spent 20 years in stores observing interaction between shoppers and store. He identifies the "butt-brush factor" (bumped from behind, shoppers become irritated and move on). They've quantified the importance of shopping baskets, "circulation patterns" (how shoppers move throughout a store) and much more.

This is not a new book, but is a wealth of knowledge I think is applicable to all kinds of businesses—not just retail.